Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
A Random Image


 Search



 Share & Follow Religion News Blog


 Remember These Stories?


 Amazon

More articles about: Neale Donald Walsch:

Book by ‘New Age Guru’ Marketed to Christian Teens


ReligionNewsBlog.com • Saturday August 10, 2002

Reputable Publisher of Children’s Books Admits Mistake in Pilot Program
Agape Press, Aug. 9, 2002
By Jim Brown and Jody Brown
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/8/92002a.asp

(AgapePress) – A pro-family leader says the world’s largest publisher of children’s books has violated the trust of parents nationwide by promoting an anti-Christian book. The book was initially marketed directly to teenagers in Christian schools.

Scholastic, Inc., is selling the controversial book entitled Conversations With God for Teens, which promotes pantheism, sexual adventurism, and moral relativism. One passage of the book attributes the following statement to “God” in response to a teen’s question concerning the forgiveness of sins: “I do not forgive anyone. That is the first thing you must understand about me. I will not forgive you, ever, for anything that you do …. I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive.”

Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, explains that the book, written by Neale Donald Walsch, flies in the face of Bible teaching.

“It basically tells kids they’re their own authorities and that they can consult with their parents if they want, but they remain equipped to make the ultimate decision — and that whatever that decision is, it’s right for them,” Knight says. “This gives kids a full approval to do anything they want.”

“It’s really scary stuff, and it’s couched in ‘semi-spiritual’ language,” he says. “It’s a real piece of work — it’s as if the devil himself is whispering into your kid’s ear.”
[...]

“Neale Walsch, who has sold millions of books, is a four-time divorced, college dropout, New Age guru — and he’s the epitome of the kind of 60s type ‘sit in a circle and contemplate your navel’ authority that kids flock to,” Knight says. “Apparently, it still sells in the next millennium.”
[...]

Knight says Scholastic’s promotion of the book should make parents skeptical of very product put out by the publishing company. According to the pro-family spokesman, Scholastic is a corporate sponsor of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which promotes the homosexual agenda in schools.

Early last month, both Knight’s group and Focus on the Family exposed the anti-Christian content of the book during radio broadcasts. Focus’ founder and president Dr. James Dobson vowed he would never again promote or purchase books from Scholastic.

Walsch’s book was initially marketed by Scholastic directly to Christian schools on a sheet that included such books as the Prayer of Jabez for Kids and a set of books by Max Lucado. Placed prominently in the center of the sheet was the promotion for Conversations With God for Teens.

According to Knight, Scholastic has since admitted it made a mistake by including the book in the pilot project to Christian schools, and that it should have been more “cognizant of what should have been appropriate” in such a promotion.

Bookmark share or email this Religion News Blog page Bookmark, Share, or Email This Page

 

Read another article Read Another Article

Tags and keywords for this Apologetics Index entry Related News Articles

arrow

RSS Feed Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates

Religion News Find Related Information

Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults:
arrow ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.
arrow CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.

Religion News Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com

Religion News Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles

Religion News Search Search Religion News Blog